Max Basch & Brian Wilson
Verizon Business
Verizon isn’t only getting into the consumer video delivery business: it’s also getting into the backhaul business, launching High-Def DVTS, a high-definition digital video transport service for broadcast and entertainment companies, and other businesses in 13 Northeast and mid-Atlantic states late last month.
The service is available in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia and can be used for point-to-point delivery of HD video.
HD Update spoke with Max Basch, Verizon Business director of optical and data network services and Brian Wilson, Verizon Business product manager about the new service.
Q: How does this service differ from other fiber-based HD transport services?
Basch: The biggest difference is our density and the number of locations that is by far bigger than any other service by a multiple of 200. Every single location that is connected by Verizon fiber can use the service—all they need are one of two interfaces, depending on whether the content is compressed or uncompressed.
Q: What is the bandwidth?
Wilson: It’s a point-to-point system that can handle 19.39 Mbps or 1.485 Gbps data rates, whichever one that is needed. It’s not riding DWDM or Sonet but it will in the future.
Q: Pricing is always an issue in transport. How much does it cost?
Basch: We’re a regulated utility so the service doesn’t have premium charges and instead has tarriffed costs. In Manhattan, for example, a point-to-point HD connection will be between $1,600 and $2,000.
Q: Over the years broadcast TV station groups have looked at centralcasting models, where content is fed out from one single point to multiple stations. But last-mile connectivity and costs have been an issue. Do you think this solves some of those problems?
Basch: This will be the solution for last mile transport. And if we need to connect to another provider our Complex Solutions Group can help.
--Interview by Ken Kerschbaumer
